Starcraft: Takeover
by RichterScale
Summary: A small Terran command post is under attack by a large Zerg invasion force as a Protoss expedition attempts to colonize the planet Odesae.
1. Endangered Species

Starcraft: Takeover

Paul Franklin

Original Concept courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment ©

Chapter 1: Endangered Species

"What the hell's supposed to be out here? There's nothing but rocks and Zerg shit for miles."

"Beats me. Take that up with the Sergeant. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to transfer you to the front lines."

"I think I'll take my chances with the Zerg shit."

The two Marines headed back to the rest of the regiment. Stationed on the outskirts of the Fargus Ruins on Odesae, the 15th Platoon of the Confederate Special Forces had orders to patrol the wastelands of the recent battleground between the Terran and Zerg forces. As little life as was to be found out here - most of it Zergling stragglers left behind after the destruction of the Zerg colonies - there was still hostile activity that needed to be taken care of before Terran colonization could resume as before.

The two Marines, who went by Noog and Revillo, entered the mess hall of the Command Center that had been set up as a base of activities for the regiment. Sitting down to their daily gruel, they chatted about who had seen the worst action in the war.

"One time," Revillo said, "I was sitting with my best friend out in the field. Just another boring day, when out of nowhere, one of those Zergling bastards jumped up from over the hill. Bit my bud's head clean off."

"You two really shouldn't talk about shit like that over lunch. You might make me puke into my gruel. If you ask me, it'd be an improvement." The two Marines turned around to see Quiksilver holding his tray over their heads, almost as if he intended to dump the contents of his lunch onto them. Quiksilver was known for his speed in battle, able to mercilessly dispatch Zerg with just a few blasts of his flamethrower. His blackened skin showed proof of his experience as a Firebat, the Confederacy's secret weapon against the Zerg infantry.

"Hard to believe we've been out here for almost 6 months with no activity from the Zerg." Quiksilver slurped up some of his gooey cuisine. "Almost feels a little unnerving."

"You just worry about killing things," Noog retorted. "Leave the thinking to the higher-ups."

The bell rang, and the troops - consisting largely of Marines and Firebats, with a few Wraith Pilots and Ghosts - filed out to the training grounds for their field exercises. The targets, built using refined hover technology, zoomed up and down the field, exploding into shards as bullets broke into them at horrifying speeds.

"If that doesn't kill a Hydralisk," Noog laughed as he sent a bullet perfectly through the head of one of the targets, "nothing will."

Back at the Barracks, Revillo had been detained. Wondering what he could have possibly done to deserve an absence from field training, Revillo walked to his bunk. There, Revillo caught sight of a message flashing on the holoprojector on the head of his bed. The message was in bright red letters on a green background, displaying the message

RECIPIENT: PVT. REVILLO

SENDER: SRGT. RICHTER

SUB: PROMOTION

Revillo grinned. This was the chance he had been waiting 5 years for. Reading the message, he noted that it had been postmarked 13:45 and stated to meet in the Sergeant's bunk in 5 minutes. Glancing towards the clock on the Barracks wall, Revillo felt his stomach lurch when the clock read 13:55.

"Great way to make a first impression," Revillo grunted as he sprinted towards Sergeant Richter's bunk.

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The Marines went back to the Barracks, while Quiksilver went his own way to receive physical augmentations. As Noog walked over to his bunk, he noticed a message on Revillo's holoprojector. _Bastard must've left his mail open_, Noog thought. _I can't pass this up_. He leaned over into Rev's bunk and skimmed across the message. After skipping over the formalities in the opening of the message, his eyes stopped on a particular paragraph. Noog almost pissed his pants.

"Holy shit, guys. Check this out! Rev's gone and got himself promoted!"

"You're damn right." The Marines turned around to see Rev, outfitted in his new Ghost uniform.

"Well aren't you a pretty-boy now," Noog taunted. Rev explained how the Sergeant had noticed his excellent track record on the field, ranging from special explosives missions to stealth, infiltration and data gathering. "He said I'd be perfect for the Ballistics division of the Covert Ops division. All I have to do is help the research team there develop an algorithm for producing nuclear missiles from the natural resources out here, and I'll be all set to blow the shit out of any Zerg colony that tries to set foot on this planet."

During all the commotion caused by Revillo's promotion, the Marines hardly noticed as the new recruit walked through the door and took his place at the back of the Barracks. Setting down his bags, the recruit began to unpack his belongings and sort them out on his bed.

Out of the corner of his eye, one of the Privates, whom the others called Boxo, noticed the new recruit sorting out his clothes. "Hey guys," he remarked, "looks like we got a real momma's boy over here. Lookit him, he sorts out his clothes like his momma taught him to do!" A ring of laughter exploded around the room as Boxo continued to ridicule the newcomer. "You better not expect this to be a damn cakewalk, boy. This is the big time. Momma's not here to hold your hand."

Before anyone could blink an eye, Boxo was planted against the wall. The recruit, holding Boxo firmly by the neck, smiled a big, toothy smile. "Thanks for the advice," he said, "but I think I can take care of myself."

"Sounds good to me," Boxo choked out. "Now, uh… mind putting me back down?"

"Oh… sorry." The recruit hadn't noticed - and neither had the other Privates - that Boxo had been suspended 6 inches off the ground during the tussle. Rubbing his sore neck, Boxo glared at the apparently not so new recruit. "What's your name, anyways? And it better not be some pussy name, or I'll never hear the end of it. No one wants to get his ass beat by a guy named Fluff."

That got a smile on everyone's faces. The tension broken, the newcomer answered. "Name's Stickaz. Ex-Goliath." Everyone was curious as to why a Goliath had been demoted to Marine, but they figured if they didn't want to end up 6 inches above the ground - or worse, 6 feet under it - they'd keep their mouths shut.

As the Marines began to talk about Revillo's promotion and Boxo's recent ass-whooping, they heard a knock on the Barracks door. The automated door opened to reveal the Sergeant himself in the doorway. Immediately, every one of the soldiers - excluding Stickaz - stood rigid at attention. The Sergeant, Richter, commanded respect wherever he went within the camp. Well known through out the system as a tough, commanding officer, Richter was the head of the Goliath Corps. and a mastermind in tactical combat. Quick-witted and sharp-tongued, you didn't want to have him as your enemy.

Apparently, however, Stickaz was looking for trouble. Richter, noticing the grim look on the new Private's face, walked over to Stickaz's bunk.

"You must be the new recruit," Richter scoffed. "I'll forgive you this time, because apparently you don't have the training yet to show respect to your senior officers." Richter gave the Private's bunk a sharp kick, then proceeded to the front of the Barracks.

"I am merely here to see that Revillo's transfer of Barracks goes as smoothly as possible. Once the new Ghost has moved, all of you are to report to the Training Field for extra practice." A loud moan escaped from many of the Marine's mouths. "As you were," Richter said as he left the Barracks.

Stickaz was the only one with a smile on his face after the Sergeant left. _This is going to be one hell of a camp_, Stickaz thought as he suited up for the practice session.


	2. Preparations

-1Starcraft: Takeover

Paul Franklin

Original Concept by Blizzard Entertainment ©

Chapter 2: Preparations

The Overmind had just about had enough of failure. Three home worlds had been completely obliterated by the Protoss, and several of its Cerebrates now lay as masses of blood and flesh on the cold ground. The only hope the Overmind had for recapturing the Lumire System lay on the small Terran outpost planet of Odesae. If the Overmind wanted to stage a comeback against the Protoss, this planet had to be regained.

After suffering a horrific massacre at the hands of the Terran and their supreme potentate, Mengsk, the Overmind had learned not to underestimate the humanoids. It would take strategic mastery to capture the planet, and the Overmind was sure that it had the perfect being to do the job.

"What does my Master bid me?"

"Ah," the Overmind replied. "You have arrived." Before the Overmind stood Alabaster, the greatest Cerebrate mind the Overmind had ever conceived. This broodling had been created for the sole purpose of commanding the Zerg forces against the Protoss. Never had a battle been lost when Alabaster was at the head of the troops. However, the brilliance of one did not make up for the failure of others, and it was for this reason that the Overmind had summoned Alabaster to lead the Zerg force to the Odenae surface in order to ensure a swift victory.

"As I'm sure you know," the Overmind began, "the Lumire System is within our grasp. All that lies between us and the final staging point for the war against the Protoss is a small Terran encampment near the Fargus Ruins on Odesae. As small as this force is, many of my Cerebrates have faced defeat for underestimating the cunning of the humanoids. I have brought you before me because your strategies have yet to fail me. I trust you will be able to amass a force and devise a strategy in order to eliminate this small obstacle."

"The Overmind's will is law," Alabaster said as he bowed before the Overmind. Alabaster knew what this meant. He would go beyond the state of Cerebrate in order to lead these troops. No one could command every single Zerg mind without flaw but the Overmind. To undertake this mission meant that Alabaster would become one with the Overmind. I To think that the Overmind has selected me for this task is more than I could have hoped for. /I As the Overmind began to assimilate Alabaster, the Cerebrate's mind immediately swarmed with strategies to counter anything the Terran forces could throw. I Amassed Firebats, counter with Mutalisks in the air, Hydralisks on the ground. Goliaths at the base, have a group of three Sunken Colonies surrounded by two squadrons of borrowed Lurkers. /I The ideas came quickly, as though they had been in his mind all along. I This must be all of the knowledge that the Overmind has gained from the minds of the other battle generals/I Alabaster laughed. I The Overmind has all of this to access, and yet it has no idea what to do with it. /I Once he was fully assimilated, Alabaster began to spawn the necessary creatures to destroy the small Terran colony.

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A mass of Zerglings, Hydralisks, and Mutalisks, along with a few Drones, had been assembled and prepared for the journey to the planet. Once on the surface of Odesae, these forces would be needed to ensure that the colony would be able to expand without facing too many problems from possible attacking forces. Alabaster, using his newfound ability to speak to the minds of all his Zerg forces, briefed his troops on their mission.

"Your job," he began. "is to land on the planet Odesae without being detected, procure a colony, and amass a force large enough to take out the Terran forces there without much hassle. For your landing, you are to arrive at the planet from the polar opposite of the Terran base and land exactly three-fourths of the planet's circumference from the Terran base. This is to ensure that you are not detected while getting to the planet and keep from being detected while planetside. The Terrans will most likely be using Comsat detections over the majority of the planet, especially over the two-thirds nearest to the base and their polar opposite, so being three-fourths away is sufficient enough to stay hidden for a while.

"Once there, set up the Lair immediately and begin harvesting and spawning. I want you to set up a defense perimeter around the base consisting of Sunken Colonies in groups of four, with a Spore Colony in the middle. Surround these with Lurkers and Scourge, with a few Mutalisks.

"Create a strike force consisting of 3 12-Zergling, 2 10-Hydralisk, 1 12-Mutalisk and a Queen. Make at least two Queens, just in case. If you see any other small outposts, infest them. While your strike force is searching around, take a drone or two with you. Build Nydus canals close to the base. We want to be able to strike them hard and fast. Send Overlords to scout whenever you have some to spare. That should be all for now. I'll send one of the Cerebrates to accompany you."

With that, the troops each got into the ships assigned to them and began their journey to Odesae.


	3. Council

-1Starcraft: Takeover

Paul Franklin

Original Concept by Blizzard Entertainment ©

Chapter 3: Council

There was a stir among the High Templar, everyone could sense it. They held meetings far more often than they used to. Even though the search for new worlds to settle on was going well, something kept the High Templar in the council rooms, debating for hours on end before coming out, and even then not a word was said to the rest of the Protoss. Something was happening, and whatever it was, everyone knew it was so important that it could decide the future of the Protoss.

"We need to be patient, Ben," one of the older High Templar said. "We must make absolutely sure that this 'Odesae' is safe before we can colonize."

"But you don't understand, we have to act now!" Ben was rather young for a High Templar. In fact, Ben was the youngest High Templar in the history of the Protoss. As such, Ben was held in high regard and entrusted with wisdom far beyond his years. However, his youth made him somewhat hasty at times, as was the case now.

"Don't be so hasty," said another councilman. "We have plenty of time to decide before we act."

"That's where you're wrong," Ben retorted. He tapped his finger on the round council table. A hologlobe appeared in the middle of the table, depicting the planet Odesae. Several yellow dots were visible on or near the surface of the globe. "I sent a special squadron of my own Observers, shown as these yellow dots, to scour the planet."

One of the High Templar looked outraged. "Who authorized you to commandeer probes for personal use?" he questioned. "Probes are in short supply during these troubled times, and we need all that we can afford to create. It's bad enough without you practically Istealing/I our valuable Observers!"

"Sir!" Ben stood up from his seat and leaned over the table. "Please, that is entirely beside the point. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to continue my report." The disgruntled High Templar eased back in his seat and remained quiet. Ben smiled at his victory. Sitting back down, Ben continued. "As I was saying, my probes have searched every nook of the planet. What I found… was incredible."

Ben pressed another button on the table. On the hologlobe, each of the yellow dots created a small sensor sweep, revealing two forces; one of them, the blue force, covered a small area of the planet, and seemed somewhat formidable. The other force, however, was what surprised the High Templar even more. About 120 degrees from the blue force was a red force almost double in size. There were also smaller spots of red and blue on other parts of the planet, most likely outposts for mineral supplies and protection of the main base. "What are these indications?" the High Templar asked.

"You shouldn't even have to ask," Ben said. "The blue force is the Terran base situated at a key control point of the planet. The base occupies the most proficient point on the planet for sending radio and other inter-planetary signals back to the other homeworlds. These forces should be eliminated as soon as possible in order to ensure an exact pinpoint for our Warp Portals in order to colonize." Ben pressed an arrow on the table, rotating the hologlobe. "The other force is, unfortunately, of Zerg origins." A few of the High Templar began to look worried. "This Zerg force," Ben continued, "is actually very recent, no more than a month old. The very fact that this Zerg colony expanded to such an enormous size in such a limited time span is unbelievable. There must be an incredibly intelligent Cerebrate commanding these Zerg. We should be careful in eliminating them."

Ben pressed one more button on the table in front of him, and the hologlobe retreated back into the table. The other High Templar looked at each other with alarm, obvious concern spreading among them. After a few minutes of conversing, the council head finally called for silence. Looking straight at Ben, he sighed and said, "What would you have us do in order to secure this planet?"

Ben grinned. He had won over the council with his data, and if he played his cards right, he could even be the head of the force sent to eradicate the opposing Zerg and Terran forces. Ben decided it was time for his proposal. "There's only one thing we can do," Ben stated. "We have to send a force down to the planet and eliminate these two forces. This is the only way to secure the planet. We cannot hope to colonize Odesae as long as the Protoss and Zerg inhabit it."

The High Templar talked a little bit more, and seemed to be in unanimous agreement when coming to a conclusion. "It seems," the council head said, "that we have little choice but to act now before either the Terran, or even worse, the Zerg can completely take over the planet. Since your commandeered Observers have given you more information than even we have, it seems only suitable that you lead the forces down to the surface of Odesae." Ben began to stand as if to leave, but the council head seemed to have a little more to say first. "However," said the council head as he glared at Ben, "you must give us access to any and all information that your Observers have gathered and will gather in the future. Also, you must give us regular status reports while creating your base on the planet. If we see even the slightest bit of unusual behavior, we'll strip you of your command and replace you with someone more suited to following orders. Do I make myself clear?"

Ben grimaced, but agreed. He hated being treated like an inexperienced child, even though he was a High Templar. Ben stood up from his seat, bowed to the council, and made his leave. As he was exiting the room, the council head made one last remark. "I will be sending General Ganja with you to Odesae, he said, "in order to keep an eye on you, as well as to aid in commanding your troops." Ben merely kept walking towards his room.

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Ben reached his quarters faster than normal due to his rage. As he opened the door, he noticed another figure already occupying his room. "Long time no see, my friend," Ben said, smiling. He walked forward and embraced General Ganja, his old comrade and long-time friend.

"The honor is all mine, High Templar," General Ganja replied, embracing Ben in a strong hug. "It's been so long since we last met, I almost forgot what you looked like." No one could mistake General Ganja, though. Towering over his soldiers, one could notice Ganja from 50 yards away just from his height. Add to that muscles that could tear an Aiuran War Ram limb from limb, a sharp mind that could easily outwit some of the best military computer simulations the Protoss had to offer, and a large scar across his face from contact with a Zerg Ultralisk, and you had one of the most distinguishing Protoss warriors. There were few that could command forces better than Ganja, and he knew it.

After trading a few words of greetings and catching up on each others' lives, Ganja cut straight to the point. "You know we're going to need a pretty big force to take out all those Zerg. And we're not just talking using our Zealot Infantry squads to take them out quickly. However that base got that big so fast is sure to put up a hell of a fight."

"I've already thought about that, and I'm confident we can take care of it. Leave the ground forces to me - you just keep your eyes on your Air Force." Ganja smiled. He prided himself on his Elite Air Squadron, consisting of the best Scout, Corsair, and Carrier pilots the Protoss had ever seen. Anything that needed to be taken care of, Ganja's EAF could handle it.

"Fine, then," Ganja said. The two friends stood up and shook hands. "I'll prepare my forces for departure. All you'll have to do is give the word and we'll be through the warp gate."

Ben nodded, happy with Ganja's cooperation. "Good. I'm counting on you to secure the base site before we begin building. I'm sure you're more than capable of defending a small plot of land, aren't you?"

"You don't have to worry," Ganja laughed. "I've got everything under control."

"Perfect then." Ben escorted Ganja to the doorway. "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning then." As the door closed behind Ganja, Ben flopped down onto his bunk, tired from the day's diplomacy and bantering with the other High Templar. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.


	4. Objective

-1Starcraft: Takeover

Paul Franklin

Original Concept by Blizzard Entertainment ©

Chapter 4: Objective

"Damn, man, would you-"

"Stop doing that?" Revillo grinned. Ever since his Ghost training began, he had tapped into more of his psychic abilities. One of these was the ability to read the thoughts of others, as well as transmit his own thoughts to them. IA useful skill/I Revillo thought, prodding Noog's mind a little further.

"Seriously, quit finishing my sentences." Noog was getting a little flustered. "Ever since you started your Ghost training, you've been probing minds like nobody's business. Some of the other Marines are getting pissed. If you don't watch your back, you might get hurt."

Revillo's face wrought itself into a distraught expression. "Was that a threat?"

"No way, man. I'm just looking out for you. I don't want you to get jumped in the shower or anything. You know how it can get around here. We're low on women, and some of the guys are getting a little desperate."

Noog chuckled as he saw a shiver run down Revillo's spine. Rev would be sure to keep his mind searching for brainwave signals within 20 meters from now on.

Out of nowhere, Revillo heard a beeping sound. It was coming from Noog's HUD. "You've got a message, dude."

"I don't need damn psychic powers to know that," Noog retorted. Pulling the message onscreen, Noog read the message and turned pale. "Looks like we're being called to the Med Center. Seems something happened between Stickaz and Boxo again, and this time, it got ugly."

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Richter was waiting for the two Marines when they arrived. They noticed that the sergeant did not seem to be in the best of moods.

"What the hell happened between these two?" Richter fumed. "I need an explanation as to why Private Boxo here has his arm in three pieces."

IThat explains why Noog went pale/I Rev thought. "Well," Rev began, "Boxo started some shit with Stickaz again this morning." Richter's face suddenly demanded respect, so Revillo decided to be a little less casual with the sergeant. "The two don't exactly get along very well, so there's lots of commotion in the bunk."

Noog decided to pipe up here. "Well, whatever Boxo said, it must have been something about Stickaz's strength, because the next thing we knew, the two were sitting at a table having an arm wrestling match." An exasperated sigh escaped from Noog's mouth. "You can clearly see who the winner is."

Richter turned his attention to Stickaz, who was sitting in a cage in the corner with a smile on his face and restraints on his wrists and ankles. "I don't know what the hell your problem is, you little bastard, but I assure you that if it were my decision, you'd be fighting the Zerg on the front lines of Norda with your bare hands. Fortunately for you, it's Inot/I up to me. I'm going to have to talk about reassigning you to the Mengsk Administration, and I'll make sure you never hold a weapon again."

Richter went back to conversing with Revillo. "Have you finished that algorithm yet, soldier?"

Revillo gave a sharp salute. "Yes, sir. We can begin nuclear missile production in 2 hours and have a nuke completely assembled and ready for use in about an hour."

"Excellent job, Revillo. You've got a sharp mind. Keep up the good work." Richter saluted the Ghost and walked out, muttering, "Dismissed," on the way out the door. Noog and Revillo made their way back to the Marine Bunks, leaving Boxo and his attending Medic, Neeko, in the Medical Facility.

"You're a lucky guy, you know." Neeko gave a small smile. "You shouldn't have any kind of arm right now. If not for these advanced bionics we have here, you'd be out of service permanently." Having been trained in the top medical colleges and facilities to become a field Medic, Neeko was a fairly young girl who could mend wounds in mere minutes. Having an incredible knowledge of the human anatomy, as well as mechanics, Neeko was a miracle to the men stationed on Odesae.

"This isn't much," Boxo grunted. "Just give me a stim and I'll be fine."

Neeko gave a dejected look. "You Marines and Firebats around here pop those things like water. I don't think the commanders tell you that those things shorten your life span. Since I was stationed here about 5 months ago, I've had more men in here for stim abuse than any other base I've worked at." Neeko gave Boxo another shot to put him under for a little longer, then went back to attaching his new bionic appendage.

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Richter noticed a small red light flashing on his console when he arrived back at his quarters. He immediately ran to the console and pressed a series of buttons, bringing up the head of the Mengsk Administration on his view screen.

"Good evening, Sergeant," one of the councilmen said.

"To what do I owe this honor?" Richter replied.

"We've received some data from your Comsat team," another cabinet member said. "We're putting your base on red alert until further notice."

Richter didn't know what to make of the council's sudden urgency. "I'm going to have to ask for an explanation concerning the data you've received."

"As you wish." A smaller image popped up in the corner of the view screen. On it was a Mercator Projection of Odesae. Richter noticed that about 120 degrees from the Terran Base was very, very large Zerg cluster. "When did this get here?" Richter asked, his voice full of alarm.

"That's what we'd like to know. You're supposed to be the one monitoring this planet, yet somehow the Zerg managed to penetrate your observation team's scanning area and create a settlement."

Richter didn't like this at all. Somehow, a Zerg installment had arrived on Odesae without his knowledge. IThese can't be ordinary Zerg/I Richter thought. They were too smart, too tactful. From the size of the base, Richter estimated that the base had come into existence approximately… 2 months ago. That's two months that the Zerg had infested the planet without Richter's observation teams even getting a trace of Zerg. Richter turned back to the council. "What should I do?"

"We're going to promote you to Corporal and give you absolute command over all decisions made on Odesae until this matter is resolved. We want those forces eliminated as fast as you can. Do Inot/I lose this planet!"

"Absolutely, sir." Richter reached to turn off the monitor, but the chairman had one more thing to say.

"Not yet, Richter. There's one last request I have to make."

Richter felt a sense of dread come over him as he heard the chairman's order. He didn't like this one bit.

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Stickaz was still being detained in the Medical Facility when Richter stormed back into the room.

"Release him, nurse." Neeko noticed the urgency in the Corporal's voice, and thus obeyed immediately.

With Stickaz unbound, Richter advanced toward the Private and handed him a slip of paper. Rubbing his wrists, Stickaz snatched the paper from Richter and began reading it. A smirk spread across his face as he read.

"I knew you guys would come crawling back to me."

"Don't get cocky, bastard." Richter glared at him. "You're only being promoted back to the Goliath Corps because of the extreme state we're in. You won't be there for long."

"I won't need long. By the time I'm through, you'll be wondering why you ever demoted me in the first place." Stickaz left the Medic Center, making his way towards the Factory where his Goliath was sitting, blood stains still visible on its body.


	5. Initiation

Starcraft: Takeover

Paul Franklin

Original Concept courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment ©

Chaper 5: Initiation

Empire looked out over the expanse that lay between the Zerg staging point and the Terran base. Lights, flashing a brilliant red, could be seen through the darkness as dusk began to set. IThey must have finally located us/I Empire thought with a grin. ITook them long enough./I Empire walked back to his post among his group of Ultralisks.

There was a new practice going on among the Cerebrates recently. The Cerebrates had taken to using Infested Terran bodies as hosts, allowing the Cerebrates to roam with more freedom among the ranks of the Swarm. These bodies, once possessed by the Cerebrates, had their explosive tendencies suppressed. Equipped to these new bodies, though, were powerful glands capable of shooting an acid powerful enough to melt titanium.

Empire paused in his step as his mind began to waver. IWhat is it that my Master wills/I Empire thought. His thoughts were directed towards the Overmind himself - or rather, the Cerebrate who merged with him, Alabaster - who had contacted Empire through a telepathic link.

IHow soon may we begin our onslaught of the Terran Command Center/I

Empire noticed the urgency in Alabaster's words. IWe will be ready by morning/I Empire replied. II hope you will be pleased with the force that has been assembled for this task./I While the Terrans were still busy training their soldiers, the Zerg encampment on the other side of the planet had amassed several hundred Zerglings, Hydralisks, and Mutalisks. Several groups of Gaurdians had been metamorphosed from Mutalisks, and there were Ultralisks standing ready to be the tanks of the attack. A small grouping of Queens was prepared to provide backup for the infantry, should the need arise.

Alabaster chuckled. IEmpire, you have done well. I knew I could trust you with my bidding./I

A sudden shudder pierced Empire's spine, if one could say he possessed one. With the tone of Alabaster's voice, he noted, one would think he was the Overmind himself and not merely a Cerebrate that was given the incredible opportunity to become one with the Overmind. Empire made sure to watch for Alabaster, in case he tried anything to harm the Swarm.

IAttack at once, with full force./I

The words hit Empire hard. IBut sir/I Empire protested, I The Terrans are aware of our presence. Even as we speak, they are on emergency status. Wouldn't it be wise to attack from the entire perimeter of the base so as to confuse them in their already obvious panic/I

Alabaster's voice suddenly took a rather imperative tone. IDo as I told you, Cerebrate! I will not tolerate mutiny in /ImyI Brood. Now attack at once/I

Empire had almost had enough, but this was obviously the will of the Overmind, or else he would not have allowed Alabaster to merge with him in the first place. Reluctantly, Empire gathered his troops at the summit of the hill and prepared to attack.

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Back at the Terran Base, the soldiers were on high alert, and tensions were high. Everyone was anxious and nervous as the Red Alert resounded in their ears. What just a few minutes before had been a peaceful base on the outskirts of nowhere was now a fortress, prepared for anything aside from a full-out attack from the Protoss Fleet.

All over the base, men and women were heading to their stations. Turret Ops rushed towards the Missile Turrets, quickly opening radar connections with the soldiers' HUDs. Soldiers rushed towards the perimeter of the base, where bunkers had been placed in an almost impenetrable fence around the command center. The entire Medical Division had been put on standby, including Neeko and her staff.

Boxo, with his new bionic arm clutching his rifle, was placed on the front lines with Noog and the rest of the 13th platoon, as was Quiksilver and his 3rd squad of Firebat elites. Accompanying the 3rd squad was the 5th, lead by a small, tough Firebat named Asuka. Asuka, though short in stature, was not lacking in skill. Able to rival even Quiksilver in speed, the only thing hotter than his flame was his bright red hair. Working in tandem with Quiksilver's 3rd Division was a specialty that he and Quiksilver had perfected during training sessions, and their teamwork was second to none.

Revillo was stationed in the back of the lines, accompanying the other 8 Ghost Special Ballistics Corps members. Their job was to sneak, unseen, into the Zerg colony and activate a tracer beacon in the base. This beacon would initiate the launch sequence for the new nuclear missiles that Revillo had helped develop just days before the alarm. While the base had only two of these nukes, with a third in the making, they packed enough punch to revert anything in its blast radius into its basic molecular structure, severing any molecular bonds.

Richter had mobilized his Goliath Demolition Corps. Standing in his Goliath in front of his troops with Stickaz on his right, Richter connected with all of his troops' communicator systems.

"We are on the verge of war, ladies and gentlemen. War. Doubleyou Aye Are. Some of you don't know what that means, since you're so new to the whole military thing. What war means is death. Killing. Brutal decapitations as bullets pierce heads. A gruesome scenery unfolding before your eyes." Richter began pacing the ranks in his Goliath with Stickaz close on his heels, mocking Richter's every word in a childish manner and arousing small, grim smiles from some of the men.

"Your mission today," Richter continued, "is to make sure that every last goddamn one of those Zerg bastards out there goes down and never gets back up. Not one Zergling gets out alive." Richter turned around in time to see Stickaz finish his mockery of the last sentence. "I'll take care of you later," the Corporal remarked, and turned away from the now red-faced pilot, who promptly gave Richter the finger.

Richter took a final glance over the force he had assembled in defense. I13 Marine Divisions, 8 Firebat Squads, 8 Ghosts, 40 Goliaths in my ranks, 15 Siege Tanks, 30 Vultures, 3 Medical Squads, and no air support./I Richter closed his eyes and sighed. IWe're in some tough shit./I

The Corporal began putting the finishing touch on his preparatory speech. "And so, men, no matter what happens out there in the field, no matter how large the force is, no matter how many men fall to blood and guts right in front of you, you Iwill not falter./I Comprende?" Expecting a resounding reply, but receiving none, Richter repeated his statement. "Comprende!" Richter received nothing but horror-stricken faces.

"What the hell is so goddamn scary?" Richter turned around in a disgruntled manner to see just what it was the men were so in awe about. What he saw almost turned his hair white. Cresting the ridge was the largest force that Richter had ever seen in his entire service in the military.

Asuka turned to look at one of his men. The young Firebat who met Asuka's gaze was standing in an increasingly large puddle of urine.


	6. Wager

-1Starcraft: Takeover

Paul Franklin

Original Concept courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment ©

Chapter 6: Wager

Ben looked on the view screen of his ship. IThis definitely doesn't look good…/I he thought. The red mass on his planetary map, depicting the Zerg colony, had begun a mass swarm of the Terran base, noted by a smaller blue mass. IIf we don't do something, and fast/I Ben concluded, Ithe lives of those Terrans won't even be measured in hours./I Ben clicked a button on his console that connected a communications circuit between his ship and the ship housing his Second in Command, Ganja, head of the Protoss Air Forces sent to Odesae.

"What is it, Templar?" Ganja said with an uneasy tone in his voice. "It's not usual for you to be awake at this hour, let alone wake Ime/I up."

Ben smiled. Ganja was definitely not the morning type. "I was up reviewing the data gathered by my Observers on Odesae within the past hour." Pressing another button, Ben showed Ganja exactly what was on his screen. "The Zerg are on the move."

Ganja gave a big sigh. "I fail to see how this concerns us," he said. "The Terrans down there would be nothing but another obstacle to us, and having the Zerg defeat them should be an advantage."

"Ganja, my friend, of all people, you should know the most about the battle capabilities of the Zerg. You know the Zerg can recreate any that they lose with surprising speed. You know that they can amass forces large enough to wipe out entire Protoss bases. Now, which would you rather fight: a small brigade of Terran refugees, or half a planet of Zerg?"

Ganja hesitated for a few moments. He knew quite well of the dangers a horde of Zerg posed. Having been scarred by a Zerg Ultralisk, he had decided a long time ago that he would rather take on the Terrans than the Zerg.

"You're right," Ganja agreed. "The opportunity to wipe out one strike force seemed advantageous at the time, but now I see that it would be unwise to let the Zerg have a victory over the Terran base." Ben sat down in his console chair as he watched Ganja pace the bridge on the view screen. "What do you propose that we do?"

Ben closed his eyes and thought for a while. Finally, he opened them and grinned. "We'll extend the hand of alliance to the Terrans," Ben said. "They're in dire need of help, and they cannot deny the presence of a Protoss fleet as a sign of hope. Besides, there are many worlds as of recent that are inhabited by both the Protoss and the Terran, and so far none has erupted in conflict."

Ganja looked distraught with Ben's plan. "I personally agree with this tactic," he said, "but my acceptance wavers when I think of what the council might think of this. We should contact them and brief them of our plan." Ganja reached over to press the communication link button that would connect the two to the Conclave, but Ben would not hear of it.

"They do not need to know about this," Ben said as Ganja neared his console. Ganja halted in his steps, listening intently. "Who do you think is in control of this operation, my dear comrade? Certainly not the Conclave. They specifically delegated this mission to the two of us. For what reason should we inform them of the means by which we wish to complete this mission?"

A grin crawled across Ganja's face. He knew that the blatant act of defiance the Templar wished to commit would send the Conclave into an uproar. Ganja liked the thought of that.

---------------------------------------------------------

"Damnit, Noog, watch where your shells fly!"

"I'm too busy shooting the Zerg to notice, princess. Keep your eyes on the fucking target." With that, Boxo grimaced and continued firing upon the continuing onslaught of Zerg from his bunker. A short distance in front of them, the flash of ignited butane lit the air with a blinding light, signaling that the Firebat squads were doing exactly what they were assigned to do.

Richter and his 1st Goliath Squadron had taken the front lines with the Firebats. Firing as rapidly as he could, the commander was laying waste to Zerglings and Hydralisks all around him. As a Mutalisk flew over his head, preparing an acid shot aimed at him, Richter spun around, locked on, and fired a volley of ground-to-air missiles, vaporizing the target in an incinerating ball.

The Ghost squadrons were not sitting around back at base. Though not directly in battle at the moment, Richter had delegated another task to them, with the help of the workers at the Factory - setting up the GRSITS. The GRSITS, or the Galactic Reconnaissance Satellite Interception and Transmission System, was a collection of 53 satellites strategically placed above the planet. GRSITS had three specific purposes: 1) to collect information about the entire planet, including visual, geographical, biological, thermal, and atmospheric information and transfer it directly to the main computer; 2) to send and receive transmissions across the galaxy to other colonies; and 3) to intercept any foreign transmissions that might pass through or across the planet. With GRSITS in place, Richter could call for reinforcements from other colonies without having to go through the Mengsk Administration first.

As another Goliath pilot blasted a Zergling off of his windshield, Richter contacted the Factory back at base. "How soon can we expect GRSITS to be in orbit?"

Revillo was closest to the communicator, but had trouble hearing what the commander had asked due to the crossfire of the battle. IGuess we'll do this my way/I Revillo thought. Connecting directly to Richter's brainwave patterns, Revillo asked the commander to restate his question.

IHow soon can GRSITS be in orbit/I

Glancing back at the workers, he counted how many of the 53 satellites were ready to be launched - only 17 were fully ready. Revillo sighed and told Richter the bad news. IAt the rate we're going/I he said, Iwe could be done in about 12 hours./I

Richter was growing impatient. IWe don't have 12 fucking hours, soldier! I need those satellites in orbit in no more than 4 hours, or else we're screwed. Do you understand me, soldier/I

IYes, sir. I'll have it completed in half that time./I Revillo closed his mind connection and spoke to the Factory workers. "Ok, men, listen up. I've got $10,000 in my personal account." A gasp went through the group, making Revillo grin slightly. "You all get to split that if we get these things up in 2 hours." Immediately, the workers began to frantically compete to see who could work the fastest. IApparently/I Revillo thought, Ithese guys aren't very good at detecting a liar./I

A series of explosions heard throughout the base sent a shudder down Revillo's spine. IOh hell/I he thought.

With a sudden urgency ringing in his head, Richter responded to Revillo's call. "What is it now? I'm just a tad busy." Revillo felt his connection with the commander waver slightly as a large explosion occurred due to another missile volley from Richter's Goliath.

IYou're not going to like this/I Revillo said. I You know those Spider Mines we had the Vultures place at the back of the base to detect a rear assault/I

IYeah/I Richter answered. I What about them/I

IWell, they just blew up./I

Richter was overcome with a horrible feeling of dread. IShit/I he thought. He pulled up Stickaz on the radio communicator.

"What is it, sir?" Stickaz's voice was dripping with sarcasm even as he and his squadron was under attack by a group of Guardians and Hydralisks.

Richter had no time for Stickaz's smart comments. "I'm not here for your bullshit," he said urgently. "I'm leaving you and your squadron in charge of the front lines up here. I'm taking 4 of the Marine Squadrons and 2 Firebat Squads back to the base. You take care of things here."

Stickaz didn't quite understand why Richter was retreating back to the base. "What's the trouble, sir?"

"We're being flanked."


	7. Critical

-1Starcraft: Takeover

Paul Franklin

Original Concept courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment ©

Chapter 7: Critical

Littleman stepped out of the Gateway and looked out onto the vast wasteland that was Odesae. He make a remark about his discontent with having to put up with transgalactic teleportation, then made his way towards the Templar Archives, where Ben was waiting for him. Having just come out of the Gateway, Littleman would need time to rest up and replenish his energy before he began his assignment.

At the command of the Conclave, Littleman, another of the Templar caste, had made the voyage to Odesae for a number of reasons - one of them being to keep an eye on Ben. Known for being the reckless young man that he was, Ben needed to be watched, and closely. The Conclave had decided that Ganja alone was not enough to handle this task, since he would be preparing troops for the majority of his time.

Secondly, Littleman was to aid in preparing the strike force on the Zerg base. Known for his excellent skills of speech, Littleman was perfect for boosting morale in the ranks. He was not without battle capabilities, however - Littleman had access to powerful psychic abilities that made him feared on the battlefield. With his wits and a small strike force, Littleman could burn through a Zerg outpost in no time.

Littleman arrived at the Archives and was greeted, though rather coldly, by Ben. After a brief exchange of formalities, Littleman got down to business.

"I know you are aware of the reasons for my being here," Littleman said.

Ben rolled his eyes in dismay. "Of course," Ben said sarcastically. "Once again, the Conclave thinks me to be nothing more than a child. They still don't trust me."

"But of course not," Littleman replied with a grin. "You were single-handedly responsible for the massacre on Helix. If I hadn't stepped in with my troops and taken out that Zerg strike force, you would have -"

"Shut up," Ben said sharply. Bringing up the Helix Incident still hurt. Even though the battle had been one of Ben's first, and had happened many years ago, his record was still tarnished by this early defeat. Having the one who pulled him out standing in front of him once again was not enlightening.

"Enough of this small talk," Littleman grumbled. "Give me a schematic of your base."

Ben stood up and went over to a console. Pressing a button, he brought up a menu and navigated to his battle plan and base array.

"As you can see," Ben began, "We have a dense Photon Cannon Array around the perimeter of the base. We have a few Probes standing by to warp in others if the need arises. Our Gateways are functional and operating at top speed to bring our warriors here. General Ganja has ordered our Stargates to bring in Scouts, Corsairs, Arbiters, and Carriers as fast as possible. Our Cybernetics Core is working fast on Reavers and Dragoons, and we have upgraded our Reaver's onboard Scarab manufacturing ability. The process is now automatic, leaving the work of operating a Reaver to two soldiers instead of five."

Littleman stood up and began to walk away. Ben stood up as well, flustered.

"Sir, I haven't finished yet."

"I've heard enough," Littleman said smugly. Turning to exit the Archives, Littleman said, "It's obvious you still have a long way to go before you have a force capable of taking out the Zerg base. Perhaps my arrival will suffice to bring you to the reality of war. Don't make me have to save you again." With that, Littleman headed towards the Gateway. He was expecting yet another to arrive after him, and the arrival of this Protoss warrior would be a harsh blow to the Zerg.

---------------------------------------------------------

Empire ordered another wave of troops to attack the Terran base. Immediately, a large swarm of Hydralisks and Guardians rushed forward from their holding position. As they headed towards the base, Empire's grin became a frown as his Hydralisks were massacred before they were even in firing range. IThese humans are more resilient than I had previously expected/I he thought.

IHaving difficulties, Cerebrate/I

Empire grimaced at having to hear the Overmind again. His constant check-ups were beginning to annoy Empire.

IAll is going well, Overmind/ Empire said. I Just a few minor setbacks. The human Siege Tanks are posing more of a problem than we expected./I

ITake them out. Send in your Guardians. Their tanks cannot destroy our Guardians, so you should have no trouble ridding us of them./I

IYes, my lord./I Empire sent in a second wave of Guardians to assist his first group, in hopes of finally taking out the Siege Tanks before they could destroy any more of his forces. And Empire definitely did not want to have to face Tanks if the humans decided to storm their base.

---------------------------------------------------------

Revillo and his group had just finished the last satellite. Pressing a button on a console near the main computer of the Factory, Revillo released the locks on all 53 satellites, then stood back as he and the workers, as well as the other Ghosts, watched the satellites lift off. With the jet boosters thrusting at maximum capacity, the group had to shield their eyes to protect themselves from the blinding flares that sent the GRSITS system into orbit around the planet.

Zanzibar wiped his brow off with the back of his hand. Zanzibar, one of Revillo's Ghost comrades and his senior in the field, was good at what he did - getting into a base, locking a nuclear missile signal, and getting out before the blast hit. Zanzibar's speed and skill were unmatched by all of the other Ghosts, and when they wanted a job done, Zanzibar was usually the first chosen to accomplish the task. If Zanzibar couldn't do it, there wasn't a single one of them that could.

As the last satellite finished lifting off into the sky, Zanzibar stepped outside for a quick smoke just in time to see Richter and his squad of Goliaths go roaring past, barely missing him. Activating his cloaking technique - a skill that he had found handy on many a mission - Zanzibar hid himself as he watched the rest of the force march by.

I4 Marine Squads and 2 Firebat/I Zanzibar thought. IThey must really be in a hurry to get to the rear of the base if they're going that fast./I

"That's because if they don't hurry, we'll be in some tough shit." Zanzibar turned around to see Revillo standing behind him.

"You shouldn't be able to read my thoughts like normal people. I'm a Ghost."

"I don't need to read your thoughts," Revillo smiled, "when you think out loud like you do." Zanzibar couldn't help but smile, despite the wartime atmosphere.

A small, repeating beep sounded throughout the Factory, signaling a communications attempt to the main computer. Revillo and Zanzibar went over to the screen and opened the communications channel. Onscreen, Richter's face was contorted with stress and tension.

"Boys," Richter said, "I've got a job for you."

"What can we do, sir?" Zanzibar stood at attention at the sight of the commander on the viewscreen. Revillo, quite opposite, seemed more alert, but nothing more.

"I've come up with an idea. I need you two to take out the Zerg Hatchery. You're going to go in and drop a nuke on them. If I'm right, once the Zerg find out that their Hatchery is in ruins, the rest of those bastards will rush back to their base to protect it while they build another. That should buy enough time for help from another colony to arrive."

"Uh… sir?" Revillo asked hesitantly, "how exactly do you expect us to get into the base undetected? Sunken Colonies aren't a problem, but there's bound to be Spore Colonies and Overlords around their base. The Overlords see on a different spectrum than we do, so they can see us whether we're cloaked or not, and Spore Colonies emit certain waves that can sense us and alert the Zerg. The chances of us getting in there and back out are slim to none."

"I've already thought of that, soldier." There was a slight pause on the communications system. Only the sound of gunfire and explosions could be heard. After a few moments, the commander came back on the radio.

"Well, sir?" Zanzibar said inquisitively. He was anxious to begin his assignment.

Richter, breathing heavily, continued his mission brief. "You're going to take about 6 of the Medics with you to the Zerg Base."

Suddenly, it all connected with Zanzibar. "I get it now," he said, filled with excitement. "The Medics are equipped with Optical Flares! They can disable the Overlords' eyesight and disrupt the detection waves of the Spore Colonies!"

"And if the Medic's get hurt," Revillo continued, "they can just heal themselves immediately. We'll have them take out the detectors, heal up if they need to, and we'll take care of the rest!"

"Exactly, soldiers. Guess you boys don't have to read my mind to get where I'm coming from." The giant viewscreen went blank, signaling that Richter had cut the communication link. The two Ghosts stared at each other, then nodded.

"We're going to need Neeko," Revillo said.

---------------------------------------------------------

Neeko's medical squad, along with one other medical squad stationed back at the base, were hurrying as fast as they could to heal the wounded soldiers that flooded into the base. While the remaining squad healed soldiers in the field, these two squads were taking in almost too many to heal. Neeko was beginning to get a little bit flustered when she received a communications link beep on her HUD. Accessing the link, she heard Revillo's voice on the other end.

"I really can't talk right now, Revvy," she said, calling the Ghost by his pet name. "We're up to our ears in blood and guts here, and if we don't keep up this pace, we're going to lose valuable soldiers that we desperately need to win this war."

"Sorry, babe," Revillo said, "but Richter's got other plans. We need you and 5 other Meds to come with us to the Zerg base. We'll explain on the way there."

"Oh, no. You can't be serious. We have men dying here, and you want me to come on a mission to the Zerg base?"

"The commander got the idea that if we take out the Zerg Hatchery, the rest of the swarm will go running back to protect the base. That'll buy us some time, and we could even get some reinforcements in time."

Neeko scoffed. "Do you really think that'll work?"

"You're equipped with Optical Flares, correct?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"Then it'll work. Meet me in the Factory with the other Meds of your choosing in 5 minutes. Bring plenty of supplies. We'll need them." With those last words, Neeko's intercom went silent.

IDamnit/I Neeko thought. IWhat a perfect time to make a base run…/I She sighed as she looked over her Medics, mentally weighing each of them against each other to see which of them would come with her on this crazy suicide mission.

---------------------------------------------------------

"Are you ready?" Zanzibar looked over Neeko's selections for her medical accomplices. "Are you sure these guys can handle this?"

"I'm completely confident in the battle and medical capabilities of my comrades," Neeko retorted with a hint of hostility, "and you would do well not to underestimate them."

"Yes, ma'am," Zanzibar replied, making sure Neeko took notice of his sarcasm.

"You two quit fighting," Revillo said, stepping in to stop an early catfight in the making. "Now remember, I've armed the nuke already. It's currently loaded onto satellite 22. It will launch as soon as it's received a signal, which should be about… 10 seconds after Zanzibar is in position."

"Meaning we have about 10 seconds after that to get the hell out of there, or we'll be incinerated," finished Zanzibar. "Ready?"

"Ready."

"Ready."

Zanzibar smiled. "Then let's do this."


	8. Execution

-1Starcraft: Takeover

Paul Franklin

Original Concept courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment ©

Chapter 8: Execution

"God damnit, these guys are persistent." Richter wiped his brow with the sleeve of his uniform, then decided that the uniform itself was too drenched with sweat to make any difference and stripped it off. As Richter took a hold of the controls of his Goliath, a blast of flame flashed in front of him, followed by the charred and bloody remains of a pair of Zergling landing on his windshield with a sickening "splat".

"Watch your back, commander," Asuka said. "I'm pretty sure you don't watch me to take over this army just because you got killed by a couple of Zerglings." Asuka went back to his squadron, which was guarding a group of Marines by attacking up close while the Marines pelted the oncoming Zerg flanking force with high-powered rifle bullets.

Richter thanked the Firebat, then called up Stickaz on the radio system.

Stickaz was none too pleased.

"The fuck did you take Asuka's squad for?" Stickaz yelled at Richter as soon as he saw the commander's face appear on his HUD. "You know he and Quiksilver work well together, and I probably wouldn't be lying in a shithole of Zerg right now if you'd left him and taken some other squad."

"Shut up and listen," Richter said. "I need you to lure the Zerg into range of the Siege Tanks and -"

Stickaz's face obviously showed that he knew something that Richter didn't. "Uh… sir?" Stickaz said, his voice wavering. "Half of our Siege Tanks are fragged."

Richter went livid. "How in the FUCK did you let a bunch of Zerg kill off half of our best defensive force! They're fucking TANKS! You don't just go and blow up a tank!"

"You do if you're a fleet of Guardians."

Richter let loose a string of curses before regaining his composure. Typing a message to Stickaz using his onboard keyboard, Richter formulated a new plan with hopes that he could keep the Zerg at bay.

"Ok," Richter began, "Here's the plan." The message appeared on Stickaz's HUD. "I need you to go to those coordinates and stage an assault on the Zerg outpost positioned there."

Stickaz thought for a second, then pulled up his map. The coordinates in the message, 64.83/44.30, were fully visible, including the area within a 10 mile radius of the coordinates. "How the hell can we know where this outpost is?" he asked. "We haven't sent any scouts out there, to my knowledge."

Richter filled Stickaz in to his plan - send up the 53 GRSITS satellites, transmit a message to nearby colony planets, and wait for the arrival of reinforcements, all while staging an attack on the Zerg base using the Ghosts, Medics, and a nuclear missile. Richter's intention for sending Stickaz to 64.83/44.30 was to draw some of the frontal Zerg attack force away from the Terran base, as well as aid the Stealth force headed for the Zerg base.

"Oh, I see now." Stickaz, looking at the map, came to a realization as he zoomed in on the base. "So that's what makes this outpost so important to your strategy…"

"Bingo," Richter confirmed. "The Nidus Canal at that base happens to be the only one that leads directly to the Zerg base. There are 3 other Nidus Canals stationed in the vicinity, but none of them will take you directly to the objective. Your job is to lead the Stealth group to the Canal and aid them in storming the base. Take Noog's squadron and -"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute here," Stickaz protested. "You want me to take a group of Marines through a Nidus Canal to the Zerg base? That's suicide! You're throwing away a perfectly good plat-"

"Silence," Richter roared. "Don't you think I know that!" The commander looked away and closed his eyes for a second, then focused on Stickaz again. "This is the only way our plan can succeed."

Stickaz swore, then broke the connection. II can't believe it/I Stickaz thought. IRichter's gotta be out of his mind…/I

After a small prayer for his men, Richter went back to his firefight.

---------------------------------------------------------

Noog and Boxo were taking a short rest inside of their bunker. While the Zerg onslaught on their defensive position had stopped momentarily, they knew they needed to keep alert. Noog decided that he was going to go outside and keep a lookout as the SCV they had been grouped with repaired the damage dealt to the bunker.

As Noog was crawling out of his bunker, Stickaz roared up to him. The dust cloud generated by the Goliath's wheels was enough to knock Noog off his feet.

"Jebus, man!" Noog cried. "Watch where you're driving that damn thing!"

Stickaz looked at the Marine with grim sarcasm. "If you need a reminder," Stickaz said, "I Iam/I licensed to drive this thing. I know what I'm doing, and I'm damn good at it. Now call up your 'toon. We're heading for these coordinates." With that, Stickaz relayed the message that Richter had sent him to Noog.

Noog merely looked at the message in disbelief. "Shit," he exclaimed. "He's sending us in there to die!"

"Nothing you can do about it, though," Stickaz replied. "If it'll buy us time, we're gonna do it."

"Who's coming with us?"

"Your 'toon, me and 3 other Goliaths, Neeko and 5 other Medics, and Zanzibar and Revillo. They're all we need to execute this plan."

Noog scoffed. "He expects 24 people to take out the Zerg base? He's fucking insane." Even as he protested, though, Noog rang up each of his other platoon members and explained the situation to them. All of them, though with many complaints, agreed, and in 3 minutes, they were all in formation, replenished with ammo, and ready for action.

"Better watch out," a voice said, seemingly from nowhere. "Don't want to get killed from inattentiveness, do we?" All of Stickaz's and Noog's men spun around as Revillo and Dwarf deactivated their cloaking devices. Neeko and her medics came out from behind a nearby hill and strolled over to the group. After a good laugh, the group got serious.

"We need to be careful," Neeko said. "My men can only heal you so much, and if you get damaged," she added, looking at Stickaz and his Goliaths, "they won't be able to help you. We're medical officers, not mechanical engineers."

"Don't worry," Stickaz said smugly. "We can take care of ourselves. It's you who needs to be careful. You're absolutely vital to this mission, as are the other boys here."

Revillo gave a short recap of the plan. After about 5 minutes, the group set out towards 64.83/44.30 and, hopefully, victory.

---------------------------------------------------------

Ben had had enough. Lounging around the base, not being able to do anything without Littleman's scrupulous criticism, feeling helpless - he wanted to act, and he wanted to do it now, before his sanity began to wane. He looked over at the communications controls, then decided to call up Ganja.

"What is your bidding, High Templar?" the general asked. "I am humbled to -"

"Can the sarcastic formalities, Ganja," Ben snapped. "We're mobilizing."

"Mobilizing?" Ganja couldn't understand why Ben was being so hasty all of the sudden. "We don't have enough troops to mobilize an attack force against the Zerg."

"I don't care," Ben said. "We moving out. If Littleman tries to stop me…"

Ganja gave a small sigh. IHe's acting like a child again… This is exactly what they sent me to prevent./I "Ben, you just need to wait a little bit longer. I've almost assembled a fleet capable enough of defending against the Zerg. We have a sizable force of Scouts, Arbiters, and even a few Carriers, though we really need to research a way to transport them faster. Maybe a way of condensing their mass into a single dense form while warping, and then…"

"Ganja, you've gone off on another tangent." Ganja had a bad habit of taking his thoughts about star flight and warp-travel and running with them. While he had a brilliant mind, he sometimes couldn't keep a handle on it. "We've got enough Arbiters to conceal a sizable air force. With my cloaking ability, we should be able to sneak around and cut a swath through the Zerg defenses at this outpost." Ben sent a set of coordinates to Ganja's computer, where Ganja uploaded the file and peered over it.

"Interesting…" said Ganja.

"What is it?" Ben asked. "What's so special about those coordinates, other than the fact that they're nearby and hold a key Nidus Canal?"

Ganja couldn't conceal his laughter. "You must not know what I know then. I've been keeping an eye out on the Terran positions." A map came up on Ben's screen. A small line of red dots was moving towards the coordinates that Ben had sent to Ganja, in the midst of which was concealed a small yellow pip.

"You've got a scout trailing them?" Ben couldn't believe the audacity of the Terrans. "Why don't they have any detecting technology with them?"

"They do," Ganja said. "They have a satellite array around the planet. We tried to take one down earlier, but…"

Ben's face showed a look of pure confusion. "When did you do this?" he said. "And where did you get permiss-" Ganja's façade gave away everything Ben needed to know. "Littleman authorized it, didn't he?"

"Yes," Ganja replied, "but we failed to destroy the satellite. Apparently it has a high-powered force field surrounding it."

"What exactly do these satellites do?"

"They capture an image of anywhere on the planet and send it the Heads-Up Display of any Terran authorized to use it. Their technology can even detect hidden Observers… and you."

IAnother problem to deal with…/I thought Ben. II'll have to deal with those later./I "Well, in the meantime, we need to move at once-"

"Not so fast," Littleman said, stepping into Ben's quarters.

Ben grimaced. "How long have you been listening?"

"Long enough to prove you guilty of treason against the Conclave. Sieze him!" With a motion of Littleman's arm, a group of Zealots stormed into the room. Ben applied his stealth ability, but it was too late - the Zealots stormed on top of him, holding him fast to the floor.

Littleman strode to the now visible Ben and loomed over him. "I managed to overhear you as I was heading to the Gateway," he said. "No doubt my guest is waiting for me there already, but I'm sure he'll understand when I tell him of the nice rat I've caught." Littleman grinned at Ben, lying helplessly on the floor. "You, my sly, sneaky friend are to be detained in the imprisonment sector until the end of this assignment, when you shall be warped back to Aiur and placed on trial for high treason and conspiracy to overthrow the Conclave. You have no more authoritative power here." Littleman gave a last smug expression before leaving the room.

Ganja could only watch on his view screen as Ben was carried off. After the Templar was out of sight, Ganja switched back over to his map and began formulating a plan. II/I will Iget you out of there/I he said to himself, Iand we're going to make sure Littleman pays for your humiliation./I With a glance at the map, Ganja noticed that his Observer was still trailing the Terrans when, all of the sudden, the screen went dark. IWell/I he thought, I looks like they're using their surveillance satellites to a fuller extent now./I As he gave an order to another one of his Observers, a sharp knock came to his door.

"Come in," Ganja said, unlocking his quarters. Even as he did so, Ganja gripped the hilt of his plasma blade, ready to activate it the second he felt he was in danger.

The door opened to reveal a group of 6 Zealots. The Zealots swarmed into the room and surrounded the general.

"You are under arrest, by order of High Templar Littleman," one of the Zealots said, "for conspiracy with the High Templar Ben to overthrow the Conclave. Please do not resist, as force will be used if necessary in order to -"

The Zealot did not get to finish his sentence. With lightning fast reflexes, Ganja dashed at the Zealot, bashing him in the stomach with the hilt of his plasma blade. He activated the blade as it was pressed against the Zealot's abdomen, sending a burning wave of flesh and bodily fluids splattering against the wall. Ganja withdrew the blade, leaving a sizzling ring in the Zealot's midsection. Two more of the Zealots rushed forwards to attach Ganja, but as they approached, Ganja ducked underneath one of them, slicing its leg off and kicking it into the carcass of his comrade, followed by a kick to the chin of the second. The second Zealot was unlucky enough to have his head flashed off at eye-level, followed by a second slash from his right shoulder all the way across his chest. He fell to the floor, a heap of smoldering organs and armor. Ganja walked over to the crippled Zealot, who had crawled behind his dead compatriot. Ganja simply thrust his blade through the chest of the dead Zealot. When he pulled out the plasma blade, the dead Zealot slumped over, revealing the crippled Zealot, now with a simmering slash through its face.

Ganja turned his attention to the remaining three Zealots, all of whom were too stiff to move.

"See what has happened here," Ganja said, "and remember it. Littleman is trying to take over this base." Ganja walked over to the trio. "Join forces with me. Help me free the High Templar Ben, for he is guilty of no crime." The general looked each of the Zealots in the eye. "To whom do you bestow your honor? To me, Ben, the Conclave, and to Aiur, your mother world, or to Littleman the conspirator, who's intents are to stage an offensive against the Conclave once he has taken this planet?"

The three Zealots started to believe Ganja. Though Ganja could not be sure of any such conspiracy on Littleman's part, his hunch could not be far off. "Go and round up your remaining troop members," he said. "I am placing you three in charge of your troops as of now. I hold you in the highest regard, and you shall be my leading commanders in the upcoming struggle. Now go!" With that, the Zealots left Ganja's quarters, off to collect the force that would aid Ganja in his rescue attempt on the imprisonment sector.

Deactivating his plasma blade and placing it at his waist, Ganja turned towards the door of his room. IFrom now on, Littleman/I Ganja thought to himself, Iit's a whole new battle, and it's not going to be your victory./I


End file.
